Thursday, May 17, 2012

Ancient minhag vs. Modern minhag

Hi,

"It appears clear, in my humble opinion, that even though the generations have become corrupted, through our great sins, and even though great [religious] disruptions have developed, still, most of these [ancient] customs appear to be appropriate. One could contend that the authority of this custom comes from this: Since the Sages were silent, we rely upon the assumption that they had a reason for the practice.

"However, [regarding customs which developed] since the time when courts lost the power to compel observance of Torah and fine sinners, it is possible to say that there is no proof from simple custom, and the power of custom is lost, and one must even investigate the depths of the law regarding common practices."

(Rav Avraham Yitzchak haKohen Kook, Daat Kohen 156)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

No comments:

Post a Comment